Coexistence of patterned phases in chemically active multicomponent mixtures

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Luo, Chengjie, Qiang, Yicheng, Kusters, Guido L. A., Zwicker, David
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Luo, Chengjie
Qiang, Yicheng
Kusters, Guido L. A.
Zwicker, David
author_facet Luo, Chengjie
Qiang, Yicheng
Kusters, Guido L. A.
Zwicker, David
contents Chemically active mixtures exhibit complex patterns that emerge from the interplay of physical interactions and reactions among components. Individually, these two processes are well-understood: Physical interactions can give rise to phase separation, whereas reactions can form reaction-diffusion patterns. To understand the combination of both processes, we identify a Lyapunov functional for a class of chemical reactions. By minimizing this functional, we identify a generalized Gibbs phase rule that governs the number of coexisting patterns, and we demonstrate that complex patterns can be created by the modular combination of independent phases. Our theory unveils complex stationary patterns in chemically active mixtures and provides a framework for analyzing more complex systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_26346
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Coexistence of patterned phases in chemically active multicomponent mixtures
Luo, Chengjie
Qiang, Yicheng
Kusters, Guido L. A.
Zwicker, David
Soft Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
Biological Physics
Chemically active mixtures exhibit complex patterns that emerge from the interplay of physical interactions and reactions among components. Individually, these two processes are well-understood: Physical interactions can give rise to phase separation, whereas reactions can form reaction-diffusion patterns. To understand the combination of both processes, we identify a Lyapunov functional for a class of chemical reactions. By minimizing this functional, we identify a generalized Gibbs phase rule that governs the number of coexisting patterns, and we demonstrate that complex patterns can be created by the modular combination of independent phases. Our theory unveils complex stationary patterns in chemically active mixtures and provides a framework for analyzing more complex systems.
title Coexistence of patterned phases in chemically active multicomponent mixtures
topic Soft Condensed Matter
Statistical Mechanics
Biological Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.26346